Is there enough common ground between German, UK or even Russian politicians to push for real changes in US (and UK and French) snooping? Kirsty Hughes writes
Europe divided over mass surveillance?
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CATEGORY: News and features
Our last, best, hope?
Speaking to a gathering of internet industry executives, writer and broadcaster Bill Thompson called on them to stand up for freedom, however hard that may be.
Burma: Freedom of expression in transition
Index on Censorship report: Burma is at a crossroads. The period of transition since 2010 has opened up the space for freedom of expression to an extent unpredicted by even the most optimistic in the country.
Why is the UK so silent on Burma’s human rights abuses?
Without increased pressure from the US and UK, the apparatus of Burma’s military dictatorship will continue to exist, says Mike Harris
Belarusian journalist has sentence lifted
Award-winning Belarusian journalist Iryna Khalip has had her two-year suspended sentence lifted by a Minsk court, Andrei Aliaksandrau reports
Pippa and Britain’s parody problem
Pippa Middleton is reported to have threatened legal action against a spoof twitter account and book. But a recent study claims that parody has cultural and economic benefits for Britain, and the government is set to loosen copyright laws. Padraig Reidy writes
Facebook allegedly has “secret censorship deal” with Pakistan
A Pakistani human rights organisation has called for an investigation into allegations that Facebook has a special “arrangement” with Pakistan, allowing the country’s government to interfere in content removal. Sara Yasin reports
Pussy Riot versus Darth Vader
The feminist punk collective has released a new song and video. Padraig Reidy reports
Angela Merkel calls for tougher EU privacy laws
German chancellor Angela Merkel has called for more stringent EU data protection rules, after allegations that US surveillance programmes have also impacted EU citizens. Sara Yasin reports
Guest Post: International solidarity with Russian civil society is crucial
Global action is needed to counter Putin’s crackdown on civil society, says Yuri Dzhibladze, president of the Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights
Related: In war on free expression, Putin approves restrictive legislation